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Thanks to a decade of smart financial planning and debt reduction, Brentwood made it through the pandemic downturn with relatively little pain. And the city’s long-range financial forecasts might seem rosy.

But officials in Brentwood, which was walloped during the Great Recession with mortgage foreclosures and declining property tax revenues as home values plummeted, know all too well how quickly things can go south.

While no one is forecasting a repeat of the last financial gutting, there are warning signs that the city could have rocky times ahead: Inflation that drives up salaries. Rising interest rates that cool the housing market and, in turn, property tax revenues. Shaky stock market returns that lead to increased city payments for public employee pensions. A possible recession that weakens sales tax revenues.

Those factors could make for some tough future budget decisions for the City Council, which will get two new members after the Nov. 8 election. The best people to face those challenges are Sinziana Todor in District 2, in the northeast corner of the city, and Anthony Oerlemans in District 4, in the southeast corner.

As the city completes its transition, which began in 2020, to district elections, rather than choosing council members citywide, neither of the incumbents whose terms are up — Karen Rarey or Johnny Rodriguez — are running for a council seat.

Another issue factors into the City Council races. Brentwood voters must once again make policy decisions on open-space preservation. In 2019, city voters rejected Measure L, a proposal to expand Brentwood’s urban limit line. In this election, Measure Q would require voters’ approval for future development of land currently designated in the general plan as parks, open spaces or recreational facilities open to the public.

District 2 – Sinziana Todor

Todor, who works for a major bank overseeing regulation compliance, has been an open-space proponent in Brentwood for over a decade, most recently working to stop Measure L and now to pass Measure Q.

In this four-way race, Todor is the only candidate who grasps the financial challenges ahead for Brentwood, and she is the candidate who best understands the state housing requirements — requirements that she is confident the city can meet without having to bust through its growth boundaries.

The other candidates are attorney Patanisha Davis Pierson; Mark Duke, a pastor and church administrator; and Brayden Haena, a recent high school graduate. They all lack background, to varying degrees, on the financial challenges and/or housing requirements.

District 4 – Anthony Oerlemans

A cop for 34 years with extensive experience training other officers, Oerlemans has worked for the Oakland, Brentwood and San Francisco police departments. He plans to retire from the latter in December.

His 17 years as a Brentwood resident and his career in the public sector provide him a solid understanding of city issues. He certainly understands Brentwood’s challenges recruiting officers and the open-space fights. He says he opposed Measure L and supports Measure Q.

He also understands the city’s current financial situation, but he didn’t fully grasp the serious challenges ahead. That said, he’s a much stronger candidate than the other two in the race.

Jacob Singh, a CEO with an international hospitality development company, said he spends 90% of his time overseas for work, then said his work demands would be relaxed so he could serve on the council. He says he’s lived in the city four years. He was unclear what Measure L was about and didn’t have a grasp on city finances or the challenges ahead.

Holley Bishop-Lopez, who has worked for 20 years in human resources, also lacked understanding of the financial challenges. She said she would be a leader with positivity, but she seemed heavily focused on the current infighting among some council members.